


Quidditch and Werewolves, Among Other Things

by Rionaa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Injury
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-06 04:33:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,296
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4208079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rionaa/pseuds/Rionaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marauders injury angst because I'm basically a psychopath when it comes to my favourite characters</p>
            </blockquote>





	Quidditch and Werewolves, Among Other Things

James grinned as the wind ruffled his hair from the speed of his flying. He was always most relaxed in the air, either playing quidditch, racing his friends or simply flying for the hell of it. He was vaguely aware of the rest of the team playing below as the red ball flitted across his field of vision. Frank's commentary, witty and fast moving to keep up with the speed of the match, filled his ears and he vaguely registered when one of his team was mentioned: "-Sirius Black with the quaffle, he's heading for the Slytherin goal hoops-" "-and gryffindor beater Finnigan hits a bludger to excellent effect there, I doubt Yaxley will be able to hear from that ear for weeks!-" "-Diggory lets in his first goal! Bad luck Amos...-"

James's mind was hardly registering all this. He was focused almost single mindedly on the search for the tiny golden ball. He saw Regulus, Sirius's brother, playing seeker for the Slytherin team for the first time, circling the stadium above him and smirked. He'd never be able to see the snitch from th-

Regulus had gone into a dive. Shock filled James's brain. He couldn't have... He went into a dive almost as steep as Regulus's, searching frantically for the snitch that Regulus was chasing. He had almost reached the ground when he saw Regulus pull up, smirking. James cursed himself for being so taken in and pretended to circle the stadium lower down, beneath the rest of the players this time. 

 

Remus had watched Regulus dive, followed closely by James, and tried to see what it was they were racing for. He couldn't see the snitch anywhere, but he supposed that was why James was the quidditch player. He watched as Regulus pulled out of his dive, his smirk apparent even from halfway across the pitch, and heard Peter swear beside him loudly. He saw James begin to circle the ground below, until he began to climb steadily higher and higher, gradually regaining height and speed. 

Sirius was barely aware of what his brother and James were doing. Correction: his brother and Regulus. Sirius was in possession of the quaffle and he'd be damned if anything was going to stop him from putting it through the Slytherin goal hoop for the fourth time.  
He weaved in and out between the Slytherin chasers, dodged a bludger with almost lazy grace, then threw the quaffle, almost as much ease as tossing a dung bomb. He watched with satisfaction as it soared through the centre goal hoop just as Crabbe reached to grab it.

He heard the Gryffindor crowd cheering wildly as he turned, his arms raised in triumph.

Something crashed into his side. Sirius felt his ribs crack as he toppled sideways off his broom. Rushing wind, screaming voices, a thud, then darkness.

James heard the cheers of the crowd, almost muffling Frank's excited commentary "- and Sirius Black has the quaffle once again, and he's dodged Malfoy, he's dodged McNair, he's dodged a bludger from Goyle, he shoots, he scores! That's fifty-ten to Gryffindor! Fifty-ten and we're only- SHIT!" Frank swore loudly off as the crowd gasps. James turned to look and what he saw made his heart seem to stop. Malfoy body slams into Sirius's side and Sirius, taken unawares, is knocked sideways off his broom.

James is diving before he's even aware of it. He doesn't notice the wind rushing in his hair, the blood thumping in his eardrums, all he knows is the boy falling through the air faster and further away than James can ever reach him in time. A bludger whizzes past his head, knocking his glasses off, but James doesn't need them to know that he won't reach Sirius in time, Sirius is too far away, moving too fast. 

James hits the ground a little too hard and he stumbles as he breaks into a run, before sinking to the ground beside the crumpled figure of his best friend.

"Sirius!" The word comes out choked and hoarse, panic rising in him as he numbly registers that Sirius isn't moving. 

He sees other figures running towards the pair of them out of the corner of his eye, but dismisses them. He's focusing on the chiseled features before him, partially obscured by black hair, though the trickle of blood from Sirius's nose is clearly visible: startling scarlet against stark white.

James feels someone's hands take his upper arms and pull him gently to his feet. "Accio glasses," Remus mutters beside him, then, "reparo." He feels his glasses being carefully placed back on his face and looks around, panicked. He sees Peter walking over to them, carrying both his and Sirius's brooms, he sees McGonagall and Madam Hooch bending over Sirius, then looks round to see Remus gripping his upper arm with both hands, his face almost as white as Sirius's as he watched McGonagall levitating their friend onto a stretcher.

The three friends sat in silence around Sirius's bed. It had been almost three hours since Sirius had been carried into the hospital wing on McGonagall's stretcher. Madam Pomfrey had fixed most of his injuries with a wave of her wand, though she said that he would likely be more than a little sore when he awoke.

At five, Peter had halfheartedly suggested they go to dinner, but Remus shook his head mutely and James glared at him so fiercely that Peter hardly dared look up after that.

"Who's funeral are you guys at?" Croaked a voice from the bed. All three marauders jumped.

"Sirius!" Peter beamed. 

Remus glared at Sirius, "that wasn't funny."

James was looking at his best friend in a way Sirius had never experienced before. He seemed to be lost for words.

"So, did we win?" He asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen so unexpectedly, "I know James caught the snitch, he's never failed yet, but how did the other chasers fare without my brilliant spark?" James, Peter and Remus exchanged nervous glances. Sirius looked aghast. "No! Dont tell me you called off the match because of me! I'm not worth that!"

"Well it wasn't really a deliberate thing..." James began awkwardly, unwilling to admit how scared he had been for his friend.

"James basically went all seeker shit on you and completely abandoned the snitch," Peter began, "you were just kind of lying there on the ground, you looked," he swallowed, "you looked dead..." His voice was suddenly very small.

"And then McGonagall magicked you onto a stretcher and brought you here." Finished Remus, his voice slightly huskier than usual.

"James was crying." Piped up Peter. James swatted him on the arm.

"Was not!"

"Were too!" The air of awkwardness between the boys seemed to shatter and they began to talk and joke more easily.

At nine o'clock, Madam Pomfrey said that Sirius needed to rest and the other boys should go to bed as well. Remus and Peter left first, but James hung back. Sirius eyed him with curiosity.

"Are you alright? You look like you're the one who fell off their broom!" James nodded then swallowed, hard. Sirius was watching him with concern now. "James...?" James nodded, then without warning wrapped his arms tightly around his best friend.

"I'm glad you're alright." His voice was muffled by Sirius's shoulder. The taller boy nodded, looking somewhat startled, then wrapped his own arms around James in return. "Yeah me too." 

James straightened up, looking rather embarrassed. "Um..." He didn't need to finish his sentence. Sirius nodded. Nothing of this would be spoken of tomorrow. "Well, uh... Goodnight, Sirius."

"Goodnight James. Come see me in the morning or I might well die of boredom in here!" James nodded and grinned before turning away.


End file.
